1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electronic endoscope apparatus, and particularly to the improvement of an image display technique when an electronic endoscope apparatus is used in combination with another medical diagnosis apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, a medical diagnosis apparatus such as an X-ray medical diagnosis apparatus or the like has been progressively developed, and this progressive development of the medical diagnosis apparatus has increased the frequency of use of an electronic endoscope apparatus. The electronic endoscope apparatus includes a scope (endoscope) having an image pick-up element at the tip thereof, and when a biological object (patient) is examined, the scope is inserted into the body cavity of the object being examined to pick up an image in the body cavity for medical diagnosis.
At present, such an electronic endoscope apparatus has been more frequently used in combination with another medical diagnosis apparatus. For example, for medical diagnosis of colon by inserting a scope through a rectum, it frequently occurs that an operator cannot specify the position of the tip portion of the scope in the body cavity because the direction of the scope is unstable, that is, the operator cannot grasp the position in the body cavity under observation. Accordingly, in order to accurately specify the position of the tip portion of the scope, X-ray fluoroscopy has been tried for the object with an X-ray imaging apparatus. In this case, the operator checks the position of the scope of the endoscope apparatus in the body cavity while seeing an X-ray image obtained by the X-ray imaging apparatus.
Further, the endoscope apparatus is also used when a contrast medium is injected into a bile duct to obtain X-ray images of the bile duct. In this case, a catheter must be inserted into the bile duct to inject the contrast medium into the bile duct. At this time, an operator directs the tip portion of the scope to the bile duct portion while observing the image of the endoscope, inserts the catheter from a forceps port of the scope, and guides the catheter through the scope to the bile duct.
Where the endoscope apparatus is used in combination with the X-ray imaging apparatus for medical diagnosis, an object being examined is placed on a bed of the X-ray imaging apparatus, and an X-ray tube and an image intensifier are disposed in confronting relationship with each other so as to sandwich the object being examined therebetween. The image intensifier serves to convert X-rays transmitted through the object being examined to optical signals. The optical signals are imaged by a TV camera, and then displayed on the screen of an X-ray monitor. That is, a fluoroscopic image of the object being examined is displayed on the X-ray monitor.
Meanwhile, the endoscope apparatus is disposed near to the X-ray imaging apparatus, and the scope is inserted into the body cavity of the object being examined to display an image of the body cavity on an endoscope monitor. Through this operation, medical diagnosis using the X-ray imaging apparatus and the endoscope apparatus in combination is performed.
However, in the conventional diagnosis system as described above, the X-ray imaging apparatus and the endoscope apparatus are constructed and arranged independently of each other, and thus the operator must operate these apparatuses individually and independently. For example, the monitors of these apparatuses are disposed independently of and separately from each other, so that observing both monitors is laborious and cumbersome.
In order to overcome this disadvantage, the output of the TV camera may be connected to the monitor of the endoscope apparatus and the operator may selectively switch by hand the display on the monitor between the X-ray image and the endoscope image. This slightly reduced the labor imposed on the operator because the operator views only one monitor. However, the operator is still required to manually switch the display on the monitor, and the switching operation becomes more cumbersome when the switching operation between the X-ray image and the endoscope image is required more frequently. For example, during observation of the endoscope image, it is difficult to switch the display because the operator grips the scope in one hand. In this case, a foot switch may be used to avoid the above problem. However, operating the switch by foot entails risk of misoperation. Accordingly, this method is impractical.
In addition, since no endoscope image can be observed when the display is switched to the X-ray image, the risk of misoperation of the scope or misoperation of the treatment equipment increases.
As described above, when the conventional electronic endoscope apparatus as described above is used in combination with another medical diagnosis apparatus for medical diagnosis, the operator must view many monitors, and this imposes much labor on the operator. Further, even when the display can be selectively switched between the X-ray image and the endoscope image, it is difficult for the operator to manually switch the display.